 You are aware that we suspended Mr. Mao Sampa and four others. We suspended the chairperson of the party, Honorable Davis Chama, and two members of parliament, Davis on Mungandu and Mr. Robert Chawinga. Today we were alerted that Mr. Mao Sampa in collaboration with the UPND and with State House has decided to hold what he is calling an extraordinary conference today 24th October 2024. This decision is illegal. It's against our constitution. The only body allowed to call for a conference is the central committee. No other body can call for a general conference, extraordinary general conference or annual general conference or elective conference, constitutional conference. Only the central committee can call for such a conference. You are aware that on its sitting on Sunday, the central committee postponed the extraordinary general conference that was due on 28th October 2023. It was rescheduled because they are logistical, financial, and other issues that are standing in the way. And to that effect we've called for a separate central committee meeting, a special one within the period of 30 days to attend to this issue of holding the extraordinary general conference and constitutional conference. The developments today, if you have seen pictures flying around that the police of Kodandof Mungushi International Conference members of the UPND masquerading as PF have gathered there and Mr. Mao Sampa is going to host what he is calling an extraordinary general conference. You have seen pictures being distributed by those two gentlemen, Mr. Chama America and Mr. Ground Victor Kapungue who are saying that they've gathered people from the provinces for them to convene that meeting. We need to state very clearly Mr. Mao Sampa is suspended. He cannot hold any activity in the name of the PF. He cannot hold any conference in the name of the PF. The constitution doesn't allow. First the manner of holding any meeting is outlined by our party constitution. The manner, structure and how deliberations are done are defined by the constitution. This scheme we hear is a template from Zimbabwe where they are copying what they call the MDC template. So this template was used to dismantle and destabilize the MDC where there were two factions. MDC one by Mogan Svangirai and the other MDC by Welshman Mkube our people must remember that history. So we understand that the UPND want to create a parallel patriotic front to confuse our people to confuse members of the public that members of the public will not know which one is a legitimate conference which one is a legitimate leadership. Mr. Mao Sampa as a non-local stand in our party is a suspended member. Remember that we suspended him earlier in the year in February 2023 he went to court that suspension was held by court and recently is among those that were suspended because of his illegal activities when he stormed the party secretariat and stormed the party secretariat demolished and damaged party property. That decision to rise to him arose from members of party structures from material. Who rose in unison that the Central Committee must expel Mr. Mao Sampa. However we can't just expel Mr. Mao Sampa we have the constitution we have to follow what the procedures of the constitution states we cannot just suspend people or expel them we have to follow the law the law we are a rule based organization and the process is underway. Our code to our members is for them to remain patient the party will deal with Mr. Mao Sampa and others but unfortunately we follow the dictates of the law the dictates of our party constitution we can't just rise and expel Mr. Mao Sampa because it's being a nuisance. For ordinary people and zambians we wish to advise you that ignore this process by Mr. Mao Sampa it's not only illegal but it's an activity of both the state and UPND it's an activity of the UPND government to attempt to destroy the opposition to attempt to destroy the patriotic front that is presenting the biggest threat to their chances to stand in 2026. For horrible Mao Sampa this is not the first time that he's been engaged in illegalities he was engaged in these illegalities in 2014 he was expelled from the party he came begging and we allowed him into the fold we gave him an opportunity to be mayor of Lusaka under our party ticket we gave him an opportunity to be a member of parliament for material even when we had other credible worthy candidates but as unrepentant as Mr. Mao Sampa is he has proceeded to do this state function and state funded and state supported activities I have just passed through Mungush International Conference and I have seen the heavy armory of vehicles protecting Mr. Mao Sampa's so-called conference it's illegal like stated earlier we are ignoring it there is another matter many people have been calling me why haven't you gone to court? why didn't you stop Mr. Mao Sampa to proceed with this process why didn't you get an injunction? we are saying this is a state sponsored activity because of things we are encountering our lawyers were ready yesterday you know an injunction or restraining order you can get it anytime the judge in charge is supposed to be available to you you can walk into any court you can walk into any judge to have that given those judges in charge who are supposed to allocate cases are unavailable since yesterday those judges are available whether it's holiday, whether it's in the night whether it's in the day whether it's a day like today which is a national day where we are celebrating independence our judges are supposed to be available so this entire activity by Mr. Mao Sampa is state sponsored it's being engineered from state house it's collaborated from state house it's being funded from state house the huge presence of police who are never available when we want them when we want to hold a rally they claim that they are not available they don't have enough manpower at Mungush International Conference they are more policemen than the so-called delegates for Mr. Mao Sampa so this is a state activity it's a state sponsored activity it's being engineered by state house we know that they want to do what we are calling the MDC plan where they will form they want to form, attempt to form two parallel patriotic front from the PF where then Mr. Mao Sampa will also call himself as president of the PF so they will try to facilitate him to attempt to destroy the PF our question is to president Akande Ichilema that these manovers have never succeeded their attacks against democracy have never succeeded and it's so embarrassing that you have ahead of state from Tanzania where you are allowing to threaten national peace because we understand some youths are very annoyed with these developments some youths want to disrupt that meeting you can imagine the desperation of the state that they can go to an extent where they threaten peace in Lusaka where we have a visiting dignitary ahead of state respected one of the few women presidents in Africa, she is visiting our country she was recently just a few minutes ago officiating at the investor ceremony at state house you allow to engage yourself in these activities so it demonstrates the desperation of our colleagues that they will go to any great extent to attempt to destroy the PF to attempt to destroy the foundation of the PF but what we can question is like I stated president Akande Ichilema these manovers have never succeeded the people of Zambia the institutions of democracy will not allow you to destroy the PF the PF is a legitimate opposition party we have seen manovers you have to craft a special stash instrument number 592 just to target the PF you are allowed the chief registrar of societies to issue a 60 day automated targeting just the PF all these engineered manovers by the state because Zambians are determined that the country is a democracy they want a ruling party that can be checked by the opposition a strong opposition they want a ruling party to do its bidding while you have an active opposition that is a determination of Zambians those decisions we made in 1991 that Zambia is a multi party democracy while we respect the ruling party in government also the ruling party has a duty to respect the opposition not to undermine the opposition not to attempt to destroy the opposition they have stopped many journalists many journalists have been calling me that they are trying to access Mungushi International Conference Center but they are only allowing journalists from Zanis and ZNBC again this goes to show what we are telling you activity is the state sponsored activity is being engineered from a state house to the extent where they can even threaten national peace just to allow Mr. Maosa to create a parallel patriotic front but all these activities are in vain they are futile they will not succeed we wish to end by encouraging our members across the country who are letting us when these intransigent fellas were in the provinces trying to entice them that they will be invited to an independence retreat that's what they lied to some of our people and there are many that arrived and told us that the so called retreat is not a retreat is being turned into a conference and have walked away to that extent Mr. Maosa has brought I think the UPND have accoded him more thugs so he can have some semblance of an audience when he is making those illegal pronouncements they have planned it to the extent that they have allowed for the functional state house to end then allow Mr. Maosa to address that conference and they want to be met live with respect through ZNBC I wanted to read some details regarding our party constitution but it's very clear first of all this meeting can only be called by central committee secondly you have to give members 30 days notice you have to provide documents that's what our constitution says you just can't turn up and say conference so this conference this state sponsored activity easily go from all France from our party constitution from the regulations of our constitution from the manner and structure of our how we hold meetings and from the rules and regulation that guides such a meeting is totally is totally illegal from all France and our members should stay calm we encourage you not to engage in violence even for those that are annoyed and want to storm Lungushi our appeal is stay away from the process so that you are not victimized so that there is no brutality meted on you let us not be the ones to blame if something goes wrong at Lungushi we urge you to keep away from the process an illegal process and will deal with it we believe that in this country there is a judiciary no matter how hard they attempt to defile it we recognize that there is a judiciary no matter how much they want to influence we will seek redress our members are intact you saw how they tend up at the central committee and the acting president Honorable given Lungushi that is very clear will not allow abuse of the process will not allow in this plane of the process because then the PF will pack up the PF will not be a legitimate opposition the PF then will not have a chance to rule this country again unless we are disciplined as a party unless we are disciplined as members so with those few words I would like to thank you for listening to us we might come back to give you an update we might come back to give you a brief but the position of the party is that the activities at Lungushi any legitimate member of the patriotic front must stay away from it the man who has called the meeting is suspended he is facing double suspensions so you protect yourself and stay away from it he called it a retreat and he could have fooled some people there is no such thing even a retreat, any meeting is called in a certain regulated manner by the party so good day stay calm maintain the peace we maintain the peace, the PF is known for its peace let's not participate in the illegalities because we don't know what will happen maybe Great East Road might be closed maybe damage could be done to Lungushi International Conference we don't want a PF to be partied to any of those issues let them be on the hands of President Dhaka Indi HNM and Mao Sampa who are coordinating this illegal activity even in the face when we have international dignitaries in our country so God bless you, we'll speak to you later